You can pot up to a bigger container or cut back the tops hard and remove about half the root mass from bottom & sides & return to the same container with fresh soil. I think if I was in your area I'd think seriously about adding a water holding polymer to the soil as well. If soil is drying that quickly, you should be able to fasten a reservoir saucer to the bottom of your container ............. never mind - I just realized you said baskets. I guess you could buy containers & ditch the baskets. You just have way too much evaporative surface in baskets for your growing area. ...great for growing roots, though. Al

My red impatiens (purchased in May) has been a hit so far this year with the female. I have it buried in my forsynthia, along with an overwintered fuschia, and my feeder. The fuschia is just starting to bloom. I've never seen them go for the Million Bells (this year I bought red), which is my favorite hanging basket for the sun. I had alot of extra petunias that needed to be out of Mr. Woodchucks reach, so I have a bunch of them hanging, but no action either. I did do one basket with Salvia coccinea "Forest Fire", an annual my zone. I figured it would do well in a basket, and it just started blooming. It's supposed to be 1'-2', but one year mine was 1' (part sun) and the next year it was 3' (full sun).

Impatiens, balsam and begonia may do well there. Balsam if you wanted a tall plant. Trailing torenia would also be pretty; it's a little harder to find but Calloway's had it last year. Several kinds of ivy would look nice as well, either by itself or as a companion to flowers. Algerian ivy, pothos, asian jasmine - though they would need to be kept sheared back a bit to keep them compact. I'm bringing all of those trailers to the swap Saturday if you are going to be there and want some.

I think most of the red passionvines are poisonous to caterpillars. So, if you want more butterflies you will need others. There are many. The one that has been most successful for me is the Corky-stemmed. It is less invasive than others and both the Zebra Longwings and the Fritillaries like it. I don't see why you can't grow vines in either hanging baskets or pots. I'm sure you know that both are going to take much more care than putting them in the ground. Still, a large hanging basket put in the right place should attract the fritillaries.